Tear Down the Flags
BY: RAMADEVI DEVI DASI
May 14, 2010 — SRIDHAM MAYAPUR, WEST BENGAL (SUN) — Dear Dhira Govinda Prabhu, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Please excuse the time I have taken in writing this. We have been very busy with CPT meetings. Rather than try to disentangle all the various quotes in your recent article, "A Festival of Red Flags". I will start from scratch. First of all some clarification on what is what.
Champakalata wanted the old case histories to see any precedent established for resolution of cases involving two minors; the reason being that many of the old cases in Mayapur involved two minors. The case currently under investigation is of this nature, though the alleged attempted abuse was a younger boy against an older boy. The incident took place in the ashram of the Sri Mayapur International School (SMIS) and has nothing to do with the Bhaktivedanta Academy. Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami has nothing whatsoever to do with the SMIS.
Our current CPT head is quite new and, due to the age of the boys (9 and 11), put the inappropriate behaviour down to rough and tumble play. He feels bad about this now that he understands better and we are conducting further investigation into the matter. We were actually about to revisit the investigation when Champakalata told that she was coming anyway so we waited for her arrival. The boys involved had already been separated and were no longer in the ashram. Ashram teachers are aware of what allegedly happened and are, consequently, more aware of monitoring the boys remaining in the ashram.
Next I would like to ask a couple of questions. You say in your Sun article,
"… I write this as a response to various indications that constitute cause for concern,"
and
"…and a host of other indicators not mentioned here, represent for me not a red flag, but a festival of them".
I would like to know what these indications/indicators are which you have not mentioned. I was part of the CPT here for several years and act with Hari Sauri Prabhu in an advisory capacity. If there is anything we have missed I would like to know what it is.
Then, I'm very curious as to what you thought would be the outcome of publishing your article on the Internet. If the local CPT and the CPO Director are both incompetent, as you have indicated by the phrase:
"…my level of trust in such proper channels to be practically nil",
then who did you expect WAS going to deal with it? Was somebody from the website going to jump on a plane to come here and talk to or comfort the children?
By writing this article in this way you have seriously undermined the local CPT and the CPO Director without knowing anything about them. You have basically dismissed the whole world of child protection. Reading this could well put somebody off from coming forward to report abuse. They might think, "Oh they won't take me seriously anyway or they don't know anything". We are not perfect but we are here, available to the children, and we are trying to do our best within our own tiny limited spheres of influence.
You wrote in your reply to Rocana and myself:
"Later on May 5th I did receive a letter from Champakalata, though in her letter she did not address this point. Thus, I've still not received clarification on this point from Champakalata or Mahavisnupriya."
So in spite of no clarification of the matter you went ahead anyway - with no regard or respect for individuals - and published your red flag article. I see this as professionally, morally and spiritually reprehensible. You are making a grave accusation against Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami without any solid foundation. By doing this you offend a senior Vaisnava and disturb his disciples and students. I say again – Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami has nothing whatsoever to do with the current case or the statement of the CPT leader. In this regard I would like to quote from your own website…
"Unexamined assumptions, instead of facilitating our understanding of reality, serve as a barrier to a fresh experience of reality. We can extend this to our life, where often we do not experience a situation as it is, or a person as he is, because we have already assumed how it must be, or what she must be like."
('Examining Our Assumptions')
It is easy to see from your writing that you have preconceived ideas about Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami which may be understandable given your history with him, but you haven't been here for a very long time. A lot has changed here. There are more than 200 children on campus now and only 60 or so are in the Bhaktivedanta Academy or the Sri Anasuya Vidya Mandala.
And please don't misunderstand my intention. If there was ever any reason to suspect Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami or his teachers, school, pupils whatever, I would be part of the investigation: as I would be part of an investigation into allegations against Bhakta Joe. I am not afraid of calling a spade a spade.
I think part of what made me so upset or, rather, so disappointed is that you stand for such high ideals in your own teaching practices. Such a gross breach of confidentiality just does not sit well with what I know to be your background and training. And I think that Paramatma was trying to get through to you when you wrote
"Also I considered whether to keep this information and recent correspondence confidential. Confidentiality is intended to protect, and my conviction is that the children and youth in ISKCON Mayapur will best be served by the causes of my suspicions coming to public awareness. And yes, I've imagined that some might urge to "handle this through the proper channels", rather than writing on a website."
… but you did not hear Him.
In your reply to my complaint you wrote:
" I will be glad to copy either or both of you on the letters I've received from
Champakalata and Mahavisnupriya. These letters clearly indicate that
"...Bhaktividyapurna Maharaja continues to be influential with the
school(s) in Mayapur, and that current allegations may be connected with
his influence...".
I would be grateful if you would copy me on this correspondence. While Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami has no part to play in the SMIS or Bhaktivedanta National School, he is naturally influential in the two schools he is guiding – Bhaktivedanta Academy and Sri Anasuya Vidy Mandala. So I would like to see what it is that makes you think he has influence elsewhere.
You also wrote:
"In the article I wrote "Herein I'm not suggesting anything conclusive with regard to mistreatment of children in Mayapur. I am writing with what I consider to be reasonable cause for suspicion."
I don't know if I have reassured you or not with regards to your suspicions but if I have, I would like to know what is the next step and in asking this I would like to share another quote from your website:
"A characteristic of genuine community is that conflicts and tensions are addressed, or communicated, in ways that enhance closeness and mutual understanding."
David B. Wolf
(Satvatove.com)
Finally, in all fairness to you, I should say that it is possible that you were misinformed by either Champakalata, Mahavishnupriya or both. Even if that was the case, I would still feel the same way about your festival of flags.
Apologies once again for my delay in replying.
Please forgive any harshness in this letter. Please just see it as a mother's loving concern.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Your servant,
Ramadevi dasi
